Cancer: What Is the Best Treatment?
James “Rhio” O’Conner was a very courageous and heroic warrior in his battles with Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer usually caused by asbestos exposure. (To learn more about this type of cancer go to( https://survivingmesothelioma.com ). When Mr. O’Conner was diagnosed, he refused to accept the toe tag that the doctors decided to attach to his life. He thoroughly investigated his disease and became self-informed on all of the options for the treatment of Mesothelioma. I pray that given the same toe tag one day, I can be as strong and courageous as Mr. O’Conner was; and, hopefully win the war against my disease.
The thought of being diagnosed with a dire cancer diagnosis, such as Mesothelioma, is horrific to me. When I was fourteen years old, my step-mother died of a type of cancer that could have been survived if she had not been mistreated. Her death was song and extremely painful; but, it could have easily been avoided or her life even prolonged if the proper treatment had been administered. The images of her death that go through my mind are nightmarish. She looked like she weighed four hundred pounds; but, she only weighed ninety pounds. There were so many tumors inside her body it appeared she was bloated. The pain she was in became more and more unbearable the longer she lived. My father documented her pain medication in a journal and by the time she died he would fill up three pages a day of all the medication he had given her (this was only her pain medication not everything else she took, too). The reality in her eyes when she told me she was dying and how she resented her body for dying on her while her brain and heart still wanted to live. This was devastating to me and haunts my thoughts to this day.
After the shock and horror settled in and my mind finally started functioning again; I would get started on my journey to conquering this disease that is attacking me from the inside out. My first step would be to make an appointment with MD Anderson in Houston, Texas. This is one of the leading cancer research hospitals in the world. I would ask the doctors if there were any new medical procedures for Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma surgeries are very extreme procedures and involve partial or complete removal of the lungs and surrounding tissues affected by the cancer. This procedure is extremely expensive and very risky. This would still have to be followed up with radiation and chemotherapy; which can make you deathly ill. After confirming with the doctors about any new procedures; I would continue on to my next options.
My step-mother’s death caused me to become aware of cancer at a younger age and to research other options. Cancer Center of America would be my next stop. I have discovered that this hospital chooses to treat patients through a combination of medical, physical, nutritional, psychological and spiritual therapies. I would discuss with these physicians their plan of attack and gather more information. Investigating this treatment or other parts of the treatment that I do not completely understand would be a necessity. The internet and the library have proven to be great places to do this. What I have discovered about this hospital and their treatment plans are that they treat their patients as a whole. They attack from all angles of the disease and the body.
My third step would be to discuss my treatment with a homeopathic professional. Homeopathy is a subsystem of natural health care in which extreme dilutions of natural substances are used to stimulate a healthy response. Homeopathic remedies cause an action-reaction response within the immune system. The remedy pushes the disease process in one direction and the immune system rebounds back in an opposite direction; which, in turn stimulates the healing process. This process is completely natural; which complies with the way I have always believed health care should be. I would rather take an all natural remedy than some man-made medicine. The drawback is finding the right amount and combination to cure the disease. Homeopathic remedies also involve psychological treatment. They treat past traumas to the psyche; which is what homeopathic professionals believe may be the cause of the cancer growing inside me.
After only slight research, I would have to say my last two options are probably the best options. Extensive research on both plans of attack would be necessary to come to a sound decision. This is how I believe Mr. O’Conner survived as long as he did. I hope I have the strength and courage to follow what I feel is the best treatment. If this were ever to happen to me I don’t plan on getting an expiration date from a doctor and just take them at their word and would have a hand in discover the cure for my disease.
By: Beam, Tammy L.
